Fired Up Friday!

Welcome to this week's FIRED UP FRIDAY!

Most of us tend to get caught up in our goals.. this could be passing the Parelli levels, progressing to Prelim in XC, running a quicker pole pattern, etc. Goals are fabulous and they keep us going. Many of us don't need to be pushed to progress, compete, and up our game in general. But what we also need to keep in mind is our inner child. Have fun with your horse! They get burnt out just like us, and sometimes we look over the signs when our tunnel vision kicks in and says "I need to get a 65% at the Ice Breaker Dressage show, I better train hard!". 

This is what your horse will say when Serious Sally walks into his field!

Let's also look at it this way, with a perspective we can all relate to. You're at work, and your company is trying to beat your competitor across town in sales. Manager A comes in and just stares over your shoulder while your working. Then she starts to nitpick. "Sit up straight. Why did you wear that outfit today? How are your numbers? You need to be utilizing the strategies I emailed you. Have you followed up on all your voicemails?". She means well, and she wants to see you succeed, but she does it in a critical, goal oriented manner. She might even say it with a smile, but that doesn't help your anxiety levels every time she comes around you.

Next, Manager B comes waltzing up to your desk. "Heeeey! How are you? {gives you a hug} Is your head cold getting any better? Your numbers are looking fabulous, and I even emailed you a list of strategies to help keep them soaring. Let me know if you need anything, and by the way, love your shirt!".  She has a genuinely positive attitude, takes a personal interest in you, not just your performance, and you feel more at ease and confident every time she comes around.

Seriously, who would you rather work for? More specifically, who would you go the extra mile for? I'm pretty sure we would all pick Manager B, and so would your horse. Like Pat Parelli says, they start feeding off of your engergy before you even enter the pasture. We need to make down time a priority and take advantage of our horse's play drive. When I was young I did what now would be considered the extreme friendly a LOT. I tied my sweater over my horse's eye balls, put my gloves over his ears, did summer-salts between his legs, rode him backwards, you name it I probably did it at some point. When I look back, I realize how much better my relationship with my horses was, and what a big impact goofing off had. He was definitely desensitized to anything and everything, he was confident in new situations and with new objects around him, and that little guy put his heart and soul into everything we did. We had an amazing bond, and our main priority was fun. 


 

I love seeing people making leaps and bounds with their furry friends, and it's so cool to watch them continue to climb the ladder and accomplish their horsey dreams. However I keep reading about horsewomen and men hitting a wall, finding a decline in their rapport and relationship, and feeling totally lost. Don't ever forget the value of play for yourself or your pony. Stop taking everything so seriously, and just relax. If you're not smiling and laughing when you're together, find a way to make that happen, and if nothing else you'll walk away from having the time of your life with your bestest buddy :) 

Fired Up (Black) Friday!

Hello everyone, I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving and Black Friday! It's a great time of year to harass family and get fat on great food. It's also a great time to curl up by the fire (or space heater) and get lost in a good read :)

 

I ordered a book called Centered Riding by Sally Swift off of Amazon and it came in Wednesday, just before my drive East for Turkey Day. I had started reading it during my few weeks at the NW Natural Horsemanship Center in between tasks, and decided I had to get a copy for myself! It's a fantastic book that opens your eyes to so many great techniques for relaxing your body so it can move properly with the horse, balance, focus, and even how you can apply it to jumping! Regardless of the discipline or sport you chose, if it's on horseback, you want this book! I can't wait to finish it, and have even found a few instructors in my area that will be giving clinics next year and I can't wait to audit one!

I hope this book gets you fired up and inspired to go have some horsey time and to incorporate something new into your routine. If you've already read her book or  have taken Centered Riding lessons, I would love to hear your thoughts and how it has changed your results in the saddle!

Happy Holidays!

Fired-Up Friday!

It's Fired-Up Friday, and I have some awesome inspirational videos for you all! Motivation comes in so many forms, and as much fun as the 7 games can be, variety is the spice of life :) 

Also, here is a great article on equine leg protection from The Chronicle of the Horse. The reason behind some horse boots have always baffled me (seriously, what is up with those fluffy dressage boots?!) so I started looking for some better answers than what I was getting talking to other riders. I'm excited for a rating system, and some boots to come out in the future with improved support!

Here we go!

Teach your horse to give you pony kisses!

An absolutely gorgeous, beyond inspiring performance by Clemence Faivre and her horse Gothan

Here are some great stretches from the great people at Evention TV

And, for the grand finale, I introduce to you Mr Frederic Pignon,  a guy who truly knows what it means to play with his horses! He's an ever-smiling Frenchman who, even when a horse gets away from him, keeps his cool. I love seeing an accomplished horseman give a performance and everything doesn't go to plan. It shows that no matter who you are, you are still working with a creature with a mind of their own, but if you keep a positive and playful attitude, there is no such thing as a "bad" play session :)

I hope these videos and article gave you something to think about and some new ideas to take with you next time you see your four-legged fuzzy friend! Happy Friday!

Clemence Faivre - photo from classhorse.tv

Hybrid Halter

This morning, as you may know, Kalley Krickeberg revealed her new product, the Hybrid Halter. It is half web halter, half rope. There is already a lot of controversy about it, as there is when anything new comes along and challenges someone's "normal". 

What I personally like about it is that it should keep the nose band knots in correct position much better than a normal rope halter, and no matter what happens during your play session (or in the event of an emergency), you know you won't have to struggle to remove the halter. For me this is fantastic since Gweny likes to get carried away and go balls-to-the-wall bucking and rearing and pull on my rope when she feels good when doing COD or cantering on the circle game which tightens the rope halter like nobody's business. One woman pointed out that these would be great for highlining and camping with your horse since they can't get their foot caught in it like they may be able to in a rope halter. I personally have never had that issue, but if you have a horse that is accident prone this may be a good alternative. Also, I personally like the look of web halters a little bit better, so the aesthetics aren't bad either. A little goofy looking, but still nice. 

The cons I see are that it is a heavier halter so playing with a horse may not be as effective as a rope halter. One Parelli student pointed out that the rope behind the ears was helpful with the porcupine game when asking your horse's head to come down. The yo-yo game is the first one that comes to my mind that might be interesting since the halter is in fact heavier, so I'm thinking you would have to put more energy down your line for the horse to feel the phases. Another aspect that concerns me for the yo-yo game are the metal connectors on either side of the nose band; they look as if they'd slap your horse in the face? That may be a game I'd skip with this halter. 

Either way, I say don't knock it until you try it. I don't think it is the "perfect" halter, but I definitely wouldn't pass up the chance to try it out with one of my girls. It will be interesting to keep an eye out in the next few months for reviews from natural horsewomen/men, and I have a feeling there will be a modified halter down the line that will address whatever issues they find. If the price ever comes down (I'm sorry, but $70 for a halter is ridiculous), and if they make one in a warmblood size, I would be really interested in getting one for Gweny. 

What are your thoughts on the halter? Have you already ordered one? What pros and cons do you see? I would love to hear your opinions!

Pride

This one can sure be a hard pill for some to 
swallow........ "If you get bucked off or kicked or bitten,
you obviously did something wrong, and that's just too
bad. The horse, on the other hand, is never, ever
wrong." Ray Hunt

Pride is something I've always struggled with, along with a few other predator mind sets. I was taught, as most of us were, to jump right back on when a horse bucks you off. For confidence reasons this is incredible advice, however what they show you when they get back on to demonstrate, is to be crazy rough and rude to the horse. The typical image I saw from many riders was hopping on, see-sawing the horses mouth until the bit looked like it was right under their eyeballs, kicking them while see-sawing sending contradicting messages, and riding them in a tight circle while cracking them on the butt with the end of their reins. There is no communication in that, there is no valuable lesson learned, it's just a large child throwing a fit on top of a horse. Thankfully when I saw this it wasn't on my personal horse, rather a horsey friend trying to teach a young girl how to handle the situation, but very very wrongly. When watching that, even as a child, I was confused and sick to my stomach. However, it did teach me that a bad attitude was okay in the saddle.

Riding bridleless as a child improving attitude and communication

I have been doing natural horsemanship since I was 10 years old, so I was fortunate enough to
learn better alternatives to handing horses early enough to correct my methods. However, four
years of learning to have a bad attitude when things didn't go your way is something that has
taken me a very long time to change. I've worked really hard at adjusting my mindset, and I
continue to improve it every day. One of the best ways to overcome a problem is to admit it, so
here are attitude issues I struggle with, from both my LBE and LBI points of view:

1) PATIENCE, patience, patience

2) Knowing when to walk away vs. throwing a fit just to prove your point and making the
situation worse

3) Not taking what happens personally, but as data

4) Boredom. This might have you thinking "What? That isn't a behavioral issue!" but it is a
mindset that makes my attention to detail and my horsemanship sloppy, which can potentially
lead to a frustrating situation due to lack of communication on my part.

5) Melting down. I usually have a pretty good head on my shoulders, and I've worked insanely
hard at my emotional fitness. However, when it comes down to having a time line (i.e. being at
a clinic/workshop/trail ride at a certain time) and something goes wrong while trailer loading
(bad prior and proper preparation), Cheyenne feeds directly off of my emotions and gets
emotional herself, and I can go from my normal calm state and turn into a blubbering somewhat
hysterical mess. It's not pretty, and I'm far from proud of it, but it is a work in progress. It's better
to be late and arrive with a mentally and emotionally stable horse and human than to be on time
in a ball of stress and anxiety, and then have to safely unload the ball of stress and anxiety you
created in your horse trailer.

The lesson I'm focusing on today, for myself, is to let go of pride and embrace humility and all 
the beauty of a learning experience. I need to throw pride away before I even walk out my door
to the pasture, and take ownership of my state of mind and my approach when doing anything
with or around my babies. I have come a very long way since I was that 10 year old girl taking a
hold of a Parelli halter and lead rope for the first time, and I know I have grown into a good (and
hopefully one day, great) horsewoman. But there is always room for improvement, and
admitting it is half the battle.


"The horse is never, ever wrong." 

On the Straight and Narrow

Marijke de Jong is a horsewoman from the Netherlands that teaches "straightness training", and I absolutely love watching her work with horses. She had a horse who favored his right side and found bending/tracking to the left for any maneuver to be quite challenging, which made him difficult to ride or work in hand. Marijke began reading training books from some of the old masters and found that a horse's natural imbalance had been recognized for hundreds of years. Through reading these old books she found a polite way of communicating straightness and balance to her "problem" horse, and developed a training method she now teaches today. 

Inspirational photo from Marijke's FB page

There is something to learn from everyone, to limit your masters is to limit your learning. I personally look for horseman and women who have a light hand and a psychological and emotional understanding of the horse, and soak up any and all information I can that in my opinion is a polite and effective method. It can be scary to branch out from a training method you've been following for over a decade, afraid to trust yourself and not a proven master of horsemanship. However I believe once you have a good foundation and understanding of quality techniques, finding mentors is much like reading food labels. You find a product (or trainer) and look at the ingredients. Are they all natural, or are there more preservatives and chemicals than food in there? Trust your judgement, and broaden your horizons. No one person has all the answers. Plus, for me at least, it can get a bit boring, no matter how amazing the information. My LBE side kicks in, and I need a change of pace. I'm still learning and advancing, and I'm adding more maneuvers to my mental card file, more arrows to my quiver ;)

Below is a video of Marijke demonstrating her straightness training in a Parelli halter. I love watching all her cues, and how soft she is with the horse, and the horse's willingness to perform, to play. I think this would be really fun to try out, and would do wonders for my girls, especially Cheyenne, who naturally carries herself in a "bad banana" posture.


Marijke de Jong - Straightness Training 

Cover Girl

Hello, my fabulous readers! I have recently submitted a photo of Gwen in Equestrian Culture Magazine's photo contest! Please take a moment to click the link below and "like" my photo to help make my baby a cover girl!

Thank you for your help!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.515582285203150.1073741829.434457229982323&type=3

Higher Expectations

"When working with horses, expect a lot and accept a little. If the horse knows you have a high expectation, they're going to pay attention to you. If they know you're going to expect them to try hard, they're going to be focused on you, and you're going to feel that connection more. If you have low expectations and do a lot of rubbing and petting, that's all fine and good, but you loose a little something when you don't have a higher expectation. Focus on a goal. Even during struggle and strife, when you get through it, you will actually feel more connected, you understand each other to a deeper level, and that special thing occurs." ~ Kalley Krickeberg

I often see videos or pictures of incredible horseman, and to be honest, it sometimes looks a little rough. Especially when they're working with a high spirited or fearful horse. They obviously know what they're doing, but I often wonder why that take that approach. There are many ways to skin a cat so to speak, but not all the ways are right. But these are incredible natural horseman, and when you watch the segment to the end, when it is all said and done, there is an incredible bond between horseman and horse. And I think the above quote explains just that. Horse training isn't all touchy-feely, kittens and rainbows, warm and fuzzy experiences. There is going to be learning taking place, and sometimes that means controversy. It makes me think about when I was growing up, and when I disagreed with my parents, specifically my father. He sometimes told me things I didn't like, or that I maybe didn't want to hear, and it would lead to an argument. I would get upset, but once I cooled off and my emotions subsided and my brain decided to kick in again, the majority of the time I realized he was right. Yes there was a moment of us butting heads, but when it was all said and done I was back to being a daddy's girl and in the end I had a lot more respect for him. Conflict isn't always a negative thing, as long as it is navigated correctly. 

Ray Hunt working a young horse

I also love the main message of that quote, which is to expect more of your horse. It creates a higher connection between the two of you, and you achieve things you didn't think you could accomplish before. It's just like handing your horse to your Parelli instructor and watching them do things with your horse you've never done before. When Cheyenne was about 4 years old I took her to a L2 clinic with PP Marc Rea. We had done some sideways but not a lot, and at that point it was often slow and stumbly. Marc asked to use her for his sideways demonstration, and right off the bat he had her trotting sideways at the end of a 22' line. I had to pick my jaw up out of the arena sand after seeing that. It really showed me the power of intention and what simply expecting more out of a horse can do. It was so simple, but to me it was a huge "mind blown" experience that I'll never forget.

Horses conflicting with each other - It is all part of communication

So, the lesson for today kids, is to expect more out of your horse, and to push yourself and your horse out of your comfort zone more often. It's something I personally really needed to read, and something that every great horseman seems to preach. I tend to get really bored when working in the pasture, but it's my fault for staying within my comfort zone and not upping the ante.  Often your horse will amaze you at what they're capable of if you just present them with the challenge and allow them to shine.

A little is better than none

I've had some good horse time in , but it's been a different kind of horse time than normal. A family member just recently asked me to work with her 8 year old paint gelding, Sonny. He is an incredibly intelligent, sensitive RBE who honestly just needs miles on him. His owner is over 70 years old, and the people who trained and bred him are all in their 60's. He has never been cantered and he has bucked several people off. I've done some ground work with him and two trail rides, and he does great! He is confident and curious on the trail and has no problem leaving his full older brother, Bliss, behind to explore what's around him. He is typically very herd bound to Bliss, but once we get going he doesn't seem to care. Watching Eileen, his owner, ride I think I see what the issue is. She is older, and she doesn't have much strength which means the horses have figured out they can dive their nose down and out to rip the lead rope or reins out of her hands and do what they want. She also has a "buck strap" she hangs onto with a death grip the entire time she rides, which makes her entire body tense which transfers down to the horse. Bliss is an LBI and could definitely care less what she is doing, but to a sensitive RB horse like Sonny, that is a recipe for disaster. If she isn't confident, he doesn't think he can be confident either, and things go south. She wants to be able to pony Sonny and pack in the mountains, and I think once he gets some experience he will be a fabulous horse for her!

The adorable mister Sonny :) Look at the 7 on his chest!

Sonny enjoying the fabulous fall colors.

Sonny's full brother, Bliss.

This weekend I was able to visit my parent's house and have some time with my own horses. Saturday I saddled up Cheyenne and I was excited when my sister said she would come ride with me! Growing up we tore up the pasture together all the time playing horse tag, jumping over home made jumps, racing, and every other fun think we could think of. It's been well over eight years since she's been on a horse, and it made both of us happy to have her on horseback again! My five year old nephew is finally getting over his fear of horses, and he wanted to come ride too! I was so excited! I pulled Chey out of the pasture, did a two minute warm up, and she was ready to go! My crazy little firecracker is quickly turning into my steady-eddy, and it warms my heart :) Adonis, my nephew, sat in front of me on the saddle and off we went! He ended up squirming around a lot and it was bothering Chey because he was right on her shoulders, so I hopped off and led him around. He even wanted to trot! A lot! He was screaming (happily) and giggling and making all kinds of noises, moving his legs all over the place, and she never seemed to mind. He is the next generation horseman in the making, and that is one of the best feelings I've ever had. I really hope his love for horses continues and we have many awesome riding adventures together as he gets older!

My sister, Caitlin, and Snicker

The best kind of bonding time there is :)

The next day was Gweny's turn, which was good because even if I hadn't planned on it I don't think she would have left me alone until the halter went on her face. It's crazy how much slower I have to move when just walking with her, much less playing with her. We did some pedestal work, which she loves to find a million different ways to avoid. She is a quick learner though and once she finally got over being stubborn and found out she got left alone if she put her foot on the top we made quick progress. It's a little disappointing how much I have to work to convince her something is her idea as well, when a few months ago she was so eager to please and her expressions were getting increasingly better. However, with every visit it declines. Playing with her once a month just isn't cutting it, and it hurts to watch. My biggest fear is that my horses are going to forget me, but I'm trying really hard to not let that happen.

My mom jumped on Snicker and we rode around, and I played with Gweny on point-to-point trying to encourage her continue forward movement. Trotting takes less now though, and we even started the beginning steps of jumping! She has a talent for it, however doesn't like exerting the energy for it haha. By the end of Sunday I had her trotting over the jump, and she stopped trying to avoid it! Every time she went over an obstacle or jump she found out she got to stop and eat one of the random alfalfa plants growing in the pasture. This was a huge motivational tool for her and she started showing a little enthusiasm by the end of the ride. 

Gweny searching for alfalfa while mom and Snicker ride in the background

Even with not getting played with as often as they used to, they are still making progress. One positive thing that is coming out of this however is that when I see them I just want to enjoy riding or messing around with them, and my competitive side subsides and I just enjoy my time with them. It's kind of nice to put the levels aside and have fun for a while.  

Cheyenne's chestnut heart <3

Megan 1, Bee 0

Saturday and Sunday were great :) Unfortunately I'm writing this five days later, so the details are a bit fuzzy, but we definitely had some good moments. Saturday I warmed up Cheyenne which took a matter of minutes, and from the moment we left the dry lot for the play pen she was connected and responsive. How cool! Once I got on (this time under saddle) we once again did a million transitions, this time with some cantering peppered in. It's funny, growing up cantering and galloping were my two favorite speeds, but once Cheyenne became my main horse, we have really stuck to walk/trot. She had a lot of issues finding balance with a rider while cantering, and could never get the correct lead which didn't help, so we kind of just avoided it. It is definitely my fault for not helping her instead of just ignoring it, so now we are making some progress. She was a star as always, and we even went out of the pasture into the yard with her staying LB and acting like a partner! This was a huge deal since normally her threshold is the pasture fence, and anything beyond that calls for wide eyes and prey animal instincts to kick in. My five year old nephew even sat on her again while she grazed, and she acted like an old pro! I can't believe how far my little RBE has come. Most days you can't even tell she used to be a little reactive ball of nerves and RBE frenzy. I'm trying really hard to not hang onto the past and raise expectations for her instead of treating her like how she used to be, and days like that she makes it so easy :) I couldn't be more proud of that little lady!

My nephew and Cheyenne <3

Saddle fort!

My pretty lady :)

  

Straddling the pole for the first time!

Sunday it was finally Gwen's turn, and when she saw the halter finally coming in her direction she shoved her nose in it, ready to play! I got into LBI/LBE mode (which is pretty easy since that is my humanality) and off we went! Well, almost. We played with the F8 OL, sent her over a jump, played with COD, but all the while there was this huge bee buzzing around her legs, front left armpit, and hind end! It was the weirdest bee too, it flew in the fetal position, was huge, and super fuzzy. She tried really hard to be good, and she was really willing to play and only gave me semi-sour faces when asked for transitions, however she couldn't help but swish her tail at the bee, try to kick it, bite it, etc. After a few minutes I gave up and figured it was time for her spa treatment, and maybe I could drown that little dude at the same time ;)

Gweny watching the neighbors

I sprayed her off and he seemed to stay away while she was wet, but when it's nearing 90 degrees it doesn't take long for her to dry off. I had to chop her long mane I worked so hard to grow out, which really sucked, but had to be done. With me being there only once a month (and once winter hits and the mountain pass gets bad it will be less than that :[ ) it just turns into giant knots. Her mane and tail are so thick, if they aren't constantly braided, they're a huge mess. My scissors were going really dull however, so it wasn't the prettiest job, and she now looks like she rides in the 'short trailer', but whatever. It has to feel better than having big knots in your hair!

Perfect summer day 

The bee came back, and it was war. I tried spraying him with the hose but could never get him, so I grabbed a short fat stick. My goal was to smack him onto the ground then squish him with my boot. I hit him a few times, but he would only be on the ground for a split second than fly off again. I was at it for about 20 minutes (or felt that long, anyway) and just gave up and lounged in the shade while Gweny happily enjoyed some fresh grass.

When I finally put her to bed the bee was still around, and this time going from horse to horse looking for who knows what. Seriously, since when do bees obsess over horses? I let Gweny go and had some undemanding scratchy time with her and Cheyenne, and on my way out Chey was right behind me. As I was opening the gate, I turned around and saw it right next to her, so I smacked it with my had as hard as I could and finally squished the crap out of him!! Not today, bee!!! That's what you get for messing with my babies!!

I'm now back home and missing them all over again. I was really hoping to have them here by March, and now it looks like it might not be until next summer. For now I just have to enjoy our short but awesome weekends :)

No other happiness could be as great as this :)

242 miles later, I am enjoying another pony weekend :) The rope I had up for my round pen has mysteriously vanished, and the arena has turned into a bushy, goat head infested forest, so play area it was :) I grabbed Cheyenne and we warmed up with a little OL play.. she was LB, sluggish, and did what I asked, but she was by no means connected. Just happy to be next to her, I thought "I don't care" and just hopped on bridleless after she had been untouched for over a month. She still wasn't going anywhere fast, but she decided to pretend like she didn't know any of her leg or neck string cues, so it was back to ground work to get a good connection going and get that responsiveness back. It took about two minutes haha. We played the yo-yo game which quickly woke her up when I didn't allow her to fiddle with anything and everything as she thought about backing, and then we moved onto "a million transitions" on the circle game both ways. Tracking left she tried to convince me she didn't have the physical ability to walk, but once she finally offered consistent down transitions and maintained the walk for an entire lap we switched directions and tracking right they were near flawless :) We played STM in a rapid "walking for two strides.. NOW TROT!! Ooh now we're stopping and backing five strides! Now trot two! Now walk! Back up again!" and she was quickly matching me step for step. Her expression improved and her eyes unglazed.. she knew Momma was back!

I put her back to bed for a few hours during the heat of the day, and after I took her halter off she was a totally different horse than when I went in to halter her :) In the beginning she wanted to play, but she seemed indifferent to me and basically had an unconcerned, alpha mare attitude. However when putting her back, she was glued to my side with a happy, content expression, and as I walked back to the house she hung her head over the railing and watched me all the way back to the door. Aaah, the little things in life :)

I went back out around 6:00, this time with my 12' line as well, ready to ride. I really wanted to focus on responsiveness, and kind of go back and refine the basics. It's funny how gentle we try to be with these animals, and rightly so as they are very sensitive, but watching them interact together opens my eyes to how lenient I have been when I ask them to do something. I walked into the pasture, and as per usual I was instantly surrounded by four eager muzzles. Cheyenne put her barrel up next to me trying to claim my right side, and when Gwen tried to approach Chey charged her, sending her into the loafing shed. When Gwen came back, all Cheyenne had to do was pin her ears and push the air with her nose and Gweny went flying. How interesting! Phases in the backwards order. Straight to phase 4, and the next time it took what I would guess would be a phase two? Either way, it was extremely effective and what better way to study horse behavior than straight from the source.

We went into the play area and on the 22' line and after the previous session her responsiveness improved ten fold. Yo-yo was snappy and she was responding off of subtle cues. I drug the 100 gallon water trough into the play pen (after evicting the world's largest black widow.. I felt imaginary spiders all over my skin for the next 10 minutes) and turned it upside down for a more challenging jump for her. This mare totally blew my mind! I've only asked her to go over it a handful of times before, and not only is it taller than most of my other jumps but it is also solid and has some width to it. Her little 14.3hh bad self cleared it with room to spare and gorgeous form, I might add! The next Theodore O'Connor? You betcha!

I switched to the 12' line, tied it into reins, and jumped on bareback to play with a million transitions to get her focused and relaxed. This is seriously one of the greatest patterns of all time next to the figure eight for so many reasons. It didn't take long for her to start focusing on me, and once we got good downward transitions I knew she was focused. Being bareback on her slick summer coat (and Arabian like frame) it can be hard to stay centered on her, so I made it a point to figure it out tonight. I am fortunate enough to have pretty long legs, so I made a conscious effort to stretch my legs as far down her barrel as possible and keep my seat centered. It worked really well, and I also as a side bonus figured out if I round my back (I'm sure it doesn't look correct) when I ask for an upward transition into the trot, not only am I more secure, but it couples perfectly with squeezing by cheeks for her cue. I have never felt so fluid trotting on her bareback in my entire life! I have pretty solid bareback balance on most horses, but she is a particularly hard one to sit between a thin frame and her ADHD swervy movements, but tonight it really clicked and it felt incredible! Such a great break through!

We spent the rest of the night going over smaller jumps and reminding her that just because there is grass in the field doesn't mean it is an on-the-go buffet ;) She felt so amazing, I felt every happy side effect a person could possibly feel! Light, energetic, bubbly, enthusiastic, and totally in flow with my girl. I had a sudden urge to gallop through all of the pastures and jump everything in sight, however being bareback and her feeling like an equine slip n' slide, I figured I would take our trotting success as enough of a win and call it a night. I let her grub out as I set up the cones into a question box for tomorrow, and put her to bed. We spent some good quality time together, scratching her in all her favorite places (in her ears, on her belly button, and in between her teets). While I was in town I picked up a Himalayan natural salt block and was super excited to see how they liked it! Chey, as you can see below, basically molested it from every angle and seemed pretty excited about it :) They get vitamins and have a salt block, so she shouldn't have been lacking too much salt, but she acted like it was the best thing ever. Which, in the summer, it probably is. A well deserved reward after an incredible session :) I can't wait for tomorrow!

Grubbin'!

The smile of approval on her new treat!

Happy ladies waiting for their turn to play :)

It's The Little Things :)

I went back home last weekend and finally got some pony time in with my girls :) Friday afternoon I whistled and leaned on the fence, and Cheyenne cantered over to see me!! Six weeks was entirely too long to be apart, even for her :) Gweny was the second one over, and we just sat there and had a little love fest. Their feet were a little long when I got there, so I wasn't able to really do much with them until Sunday after the farrier came. It worked out well, since Saturday I ran in the Run or Dye 5K!! If you haven't ran one of these yet, you definitely need to check it out!

Sunday morning Ryan, our fabulous farrier, came and saved the day, and the girls were ready to boogy! Cheyenne (as always) insisted on playing first. She still isn't used to having to share her human, even though I've been playing with Gweny for quite some time now. I always like to see how little I can do with her after a long break. And Chey always impresses me. We could do walk/stop/back and walk/trot trot/walk transitions without having to touch the reins :) I was so proud! We just played around after that, and I introduced the first step of the Spanish walk on the ground. She really gives 110% with everything she does, which is such a great perk of an RBE. Yes they may be flighty and spooky when they see a leaf wiggle three miles away, but they really put their heart and soul in whatever you ask them to do.

Smiles from my bay-bies!!

Gweny, on the other hand, is an LBI and has a very definite "why should I do that?" outlook. Her and I have come a long ways, and she has gotten fairly willing on the ground. We did our OL warm ups, and even though I got some sour faces when she was asked to trot, she was really on cue after not being played with for a while. I hopped on, and she had a lot more forward than normal! Our second ride in a row when I didn't have to convince her that taking two steps wouldn't kill her. She started out really willing to trot, and even offered it once or twice, however after a few straight trotting lines, she became resistant. Maybe because we repeated it too much? I'm not sure, but we worked through it and no matter how few trot strides she offered she got a release, and she eventually decided it was ok again. 

Things were going well, and I decided it was time to introduce the HQ/FQ yield from her back. She did not agree. FQ was ok, but we had done a little of this before so I wasn't too shocked. HQ, however, turned out to be a little bit of a battle. When Gwen doesn't understand something, she throws a fit. And when Gweny throws a fit, she goes right to the extreme. She knows how to yield her HQ from the ground like a champ, but she didn't translate the cues once I was on her back. She pinned her ears, that didn't work, and then she reached back to bite my leg. This was a first! She was gentle, her top teeth just barely made contact, but she definitely made her point. My first instinct was to poke her cheek when she moved back with matched energy. It wasn't hard, and I was really proud of myself for staying centered emotionally. Pat says to take it as feedback, not personally. It was just enough to let her know that wasn't the right answer. I learned in the beginning that the key with her is persistence, no matter what sort of fit she throws, and she will eventually engage her brain instead of react and figure out what is being asked of her. She reached back to bite again, but this time I was expecting it and she got her cheek poke before she made it half way to my leg. I kept cuing, and she finally crossed her right back hind over her left hind. Wa-la! We had a HQ yield! I got two more nice yields, switched sides, and called it good.

I took her out to the back yard to work a knot of out of her mane, and Cheyenne was not amused. She kept looking over the fence, trying to use her Jedi pony powers to will me back and come get her instead. 

We took a walk around the yard to a downed tree that fell victim to a wind storm. I sent Gweny over it to think about foot placement in preparation for one day riding in the mountains, with hopes she would take it upon herself to jump it. After a few times over, she took a half leap! She was starting to get into it, but I only had my 12' line and wanted to see what she would do if she really had a chance to set herself up for the jump. We got a running start and she soared!! Zero resistance, all heart! She over jumped it by a mile, I'm sure just out of inexperience, but that was a huge mile stone for us :) We did it two more times and ended on that amazing note :) 

She had a wonderful expression on her face, and I couldn't have asked for more. I just chilled in the pasture afterwards and had some downtime scratching and loving on the girls before I called it a night. I am so grateful to have two such amazing horses in my life :) 

Expanding My Horizons

The great horseman today have all learned from multiple masters. Friday I expanded my learning bubble and attended my first Buck Brannaman clinic. Buck was highly inspired by Tom and Bill Dorrance, and rode with Ray Hunt for over 30 years. He learned from the best of the best, and has a Vaquero horsemanship twist to his style. 

The class was Horsemanship 1, so it was somewhat like the mounted portion of the old Parelli L1 clinic. The goal wasn't new, but the approach was definitely a different style. He really strove for responsiveness right from the get-go, and it had a big impact on the group. They transformed very quickly, and if you weren't properly executing what Buck asked, he would call you out on it and have you do it over and over until you communicated correctly and accurately. He kicked your butt, but everyone progressed quickly, and he had assistants that were able to run out and help riders who were having a more difficult time than others. He was extremely blunt about how and why he did things, respect for your horse, as well as being respectful to other horses and rider's bubble. When someone had a question he was blunt yet polite, and I really enjoyed listening to his answers. I personally appreciate someone with a no-nonsense attitude, because I am corrected quicker and feel I get more out of the experience. Oh, and by the way, he was freaking hilarious.

Students watching as Buck demonstrates

I brought my notebook with me to take notes when the wind wasn't trying to blow it away, and ended up making an entire column of silly/witty Buck remarks. A few examples were "Next time do that before you're ass deep in alligators!", "Kick a fart out of him!", and "I want you busier than a cat burying crap!". He kept the whole group of riders on task, productive, and lighthearted. 

I was surprised to find out he has an extensive hunter/jumper background, and had an impressive list of gold medal jumpers that use his methods. This really caught my attention. He is very anti-contact, and I'm interested to find out how he would get his horse to carry their frame without it. The more I can be out of my horse's mouth, the better. 

Below are some of my favorite Buck quotes from the day. Again, this was from his beginner horsemanship class, so they are things that I've heard before but from a different approach. Coming at an old technique with a new perspective in mind helps see things in a different light and sometimes helps grasp a concept. Here are some of my favorites :

* Mean what you say, say what you mean

* If a horse is dull to your legs, he will never be light for your hands

* The only time you can direct a foot is as it leaves the ground

* You want your horse's feet to be your feet. It's a dance. He's not your slave.

* Do less than what you think it's going to take and then in a moment or two, do what it takes to get a change. Sooner or later you'll do less than what you think it would take and he'll surprise you. You always give them that good deal first

A student practicing her one-reined stop

Buck will be back in WA in November, and I'm hoping to stay for several days this time instead of just half of the first. There are two other women that are L3+ Parelli people that go to Buck's clinics religiously, and I'm hoping to be able to meet up with them and pick their brains while he is teaching. I'm also going to save up and get his 7 Clinics DVD set, as well as a few of Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt's DVDs. The more I can learn the better. 

I've heard Buck say to learn a technique from your mentor, but then find a way to make it your own. Tweak a method if you find it works better for you. I really liked hearing this, because one of my goals now that I'm branching out is to start finding my own way of doing things. Lorenzo The Flying Frenchman (the guy who rides roman style while communicating with an entire herd of white horses at liberty), Alycia Burton ("founder of Free Riding NZ"), Sylvia Zerbini (former Cavalia headliner), and many others taught themselves by just trial and error when playing with their horses. Each style is different yet effective in forming an amazing bond with their horses, and with little to no tack. I want to give myself the opportunity to find a unique way of conversing with my horses and not stay in the mental confines of one particular style.

Buck and his horse Reuben

I'm excited to continue learning and soaking up all this new information :) I can't wait for my bay-bies (;p) to come live with me again once we are able to get a place with property and really get this show on the road. Until then, I'll do as much as a I can when I am able to visit them at my parent's house (sadly 3 hours away) and make the most of our time. So much new stuff, and so much to play with!! :D